How to grow natives for floral arrangements | Australian native plants | Gardening Australia

Australian native flowers are in high demand for cut flowers, and can cost a lot in the shops, so why not try growing a few of your own? Clarence suggests some top varieties to try. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
But first a word about what is an Australian native - we’re talking here about plants that are from Australia originally, not their ancient Gondwanan relatives such as proteas and leucadendrons, which are native to southern Africa.
Banksias: there’s one for nearly every corner of Australia and they make great cut flowers.
Hakeas also last well in the vase and, while some can be a bit spiky, H. francisiana and H. bucculenta has softer foliage and spectacular flowers. The woody seedpods also look great afterwards. When cutting back, make sure you don’t cut back to bare wood - the stem is more likely to grow back if it still has some foliage on it.
Waratahs are truly spectacular but need shelter, consistent moisture and good drainage so they won’t grow just anywhere. But you could always try a pot using good quality potting mix.
Grevilleas - many hold well in a vase but the sap of some grevilleas in a common allergen so use gloves and eye protection and place them somewhere indoors where they can be admired but not touched.
Short-lived annuals such as Pelargoniums are lovely in a vase, too, and will generously self-seed in the garden.
Kangaroo paws are a classic cut flower, but beware of the hairs on the flowers, which can be an irritant.
Everlasting daisies will grow almost anywhere in southern Australia and their papery flowers dry beautifully as well as bringing colour to a traditional posy.
Foliage - don’t’ forget some grey and green leaves to offset the colour, and growing a few at home can save you a lot of money.
Grasses - their soft, elegant foliage and seedheads can add interest to any bunch.
Picking is a good form of pruning, so don’t be afraid to cut!
How to arrange:
If in doubt, pick a central stem as the main focus, then slowly build up around that, turning the bunch as you go and adding another stem at each point as you turn.
Featured plants:
Protea (Protea sp.)
Leucadendron (Leucadendron sp.)
Firewood banksia (Banksia menziesii)
Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia)
Grass-leaf hakea (Hakea francisiana)
Red pokers (Hakea bucculenta)
NSW waratah (Telopea speciosissima)
Austral storksbill (Pelargonium australe)
Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos sp.)
Rosy everlasting (Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea)
Paper daisy (Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Dargan Hill Monarch’)
Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra)
Filmed on Dharawal Country in Heathcote, NSW
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[@Anon-u3i]

This was brilliant. Clarence would not have been my guess for a GA segment on Flower Arranging, but he was great and his humour shines through.

[@sharonmclean8924]

Love this video. Clarence is such a knowledgeable presenter, I always look forward to his segments.

[@wildlifegardenssydney7492]

SO beautiful….and inspiring…..all the native flowers and foliage….

[@isabellerickards5919]

So stunning. Gorgeous bouquet!

[@samanthahoos9827]

Beautiful arrangement! I’m in winter soon, but planning more flowers in the garden next spring for pollinators! 😊

[@smam7006]

Awesome work Clarence, Thank You for your hard work 👍👏

[@GardeningAustralia]

Thanks for watching!

[@smam7006]

@@GardeningAustralia and Thank You for putting in the hard work to make it.

[@honeyblackunicorn]

Beautiful 😍

[@ksenijavojisavljevic2034]

So beautiful! 😊

[@FunnySurpriseToys]

Very nice!

[@GardeningAustralia]

Thanks!

[@amanthilynch1785]

Gorgeous❤️

[@GardeningAustralia]

Thank you! 😊

[@salpon]

I clicked just to see what he was going to say about South African flowers lol

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌

[@nigelrowe952]

Grevillea petrophiloides (at 1:40) not Hakea francisiana.

[@JulianFoley]

I was just readying myself for a possibility that you would feature the dreaded protea in this video when Clarence S came on and made it clear, right from the start, that they are not native, not Aboriginal-bred plants. Thanks to GA for moving on from your awful colonialist-horticultural servitude of the past.